Robinson R22 Mariner crash near Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco

A student pilot returning from his third solo flight landed the Aero Club de Monaco R22 on the mobile platform "Bravo" and sat waiting for his instructor with the rotors still turning. Witnesses reported a sharp increase in engine speed about a minute after touchdown, after which the helicopter lifted off, pitched, and yawed left. The main rotor blades and tail struck the platform violently before the aircraft came to rest on its skids roughly five feet from the edge. The sole occupant was unhurt. The BEA investigated under report 3a-m030517; the helicopter was repaired and returned to its former French registration F-GVIH in 2005.